Fairfax County Park Authority News Update: June 7, 2018

Lake Fairfax Park will host its annual fireworks show on Saturday, June 30, 2018. (Rain date July 1, 2018). Come to the park early and spend the day. The park opens at 7 a.m. The Water Mine water park opens at 10 a.m. You can rent a boat from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food vendors will be onsite as well near the park’s main office. There will be a $10 per car parking fee.

The children can enjoy a terrific puppet show from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and live music will be presented from 4:15 until 9:15 p.m. Then as soon as the skies darken, sit back and take in the fireworks show.

Campgrounds are also available for an overnight stay but reservations are highly recommended as the campgrounds fill quickly. To reserve your space, call 703-471-5415.

Ribbon Cutting for New Trail at Lee District Family Recreation Rescheduled

The Fairfax County Park Authority and the Fairfax County Park Foundation have rescheduled the opening of Chessie’s Trail, canceled last week due to inclement weather. Join us on Saturday, June 16, 2018 at 9 a.m. for a ribbon cutting and brief ceremony at the Lee District Family Recreation Area located at 6601 Telegraph Road in Franconia, VA.

The opening of the trail marks the official completion of the fully-accessible family recreation area designed to ensure that people of all ages and abilities can play together. The recreation area also offers Our Special Harbor sprayground, an accessible Treehouse, Chessie’s Big Backyard playground, Chessie’s Carousel and several picnic shelters.

Enjoy refreshments, hike the trail, play on the playground, explore the treehouse, splash at the sprayground, or enjoy free carousel rides from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.

For more information, please contact the Public Information Officer at 703-324-8662.

There is even more to love this summer as four new features were added to Our Special Harbor Sprayground at the Lee District Family Recreation Area in Franconia, Virginia.

The Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund (JPMF) donated a gift in excess of $40,000 to the Fairfax County Park Foundation. This generosity funded four wheelchairs for Fairfax County Park Authority’s adapted aquatics programs at Audrey Moore, Lee District, Oak Marr and South Run RECenters. It also funded new features at Our Special Harbor in honor of the organization’s 20th anniversary. The additional features include a custom-designed Lighthouse, a Sunken Dingy aqua sprayer, a Mushroom Maze and an Anchor Away aqua sprayer. All are in keeping with the park’s Chesapeake Bay design theme.

In March, the Fairfax County Park Board approved a $20,000 Mastenbrook Volunteer Matching Fund Grant to help the JPMF make the additions. It was JPMF that in 2009 donated the turnkey design and construction of Our Special Harbor to the Fairfax County Park Authority.

“The Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund’s expansion of Our Special Harbor exemplifies our organization’s desire to keep on doing what it has since the beginning- bring joy, bring families together. To commemorate 20 years since Joey’s death, we wanted to add on to the sprayground and continue Joey’s love of our family time in the Northern Neck of Virginia,” said Robert Pizzano.

Since it’s opening in 2010, Our Special Harbor has averaged 80,000 visitors each season from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The sprayground has served more than 500,000 individuals at no cost to families, and the park was designed to be fully accessible to allow children of all abilities to play side-by-side.

Mr. Pizzano added, “JPMF hopes we have captured the simple pleasures of our experiences at the river with the addition of the lighthouse, dinghy and anchor. Our wish is that Our Special Harbor allows all families to enjoy special time together, with their children of ALL abilities, just like our family.”

This year, the Lee District Family Recreation Area was honored with a 2018 National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) Best Park Facility Award, and Our Special Harbor was again named the Best Sprayground by readers of Northern Virginia magazine.

The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) will hold a meeting on Thursday, June 28, 2018, at 7 p.m. at Twin Lakes Golf Course. The meeting, slated for the Oaks Room, provides an opportunity to gather public comment on expanding the permitting of alcohol on county parkland. Twin Lakes Golf Course Clubhouse is located at 6201 Union Mill Road, Clifton, VA.

In light of an increasing number of requests for alcohol use at park facilities, the Park Authority conducted an internal study that began in September 2016. The study included benchmarking other organization’s experiences as well as the review of current practices, recent requests for alcohol permits, and the potential impact of an expanded alcohol permitting process in local parks. The study gathered input from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the Fairfax County Police Department, the county’s Risk Management Division and the Office of the County Attorney.

The Park Authority has allowed limited alcohol sales at private events and golf courses since the mid-1970s. Since then, alcohol-related services have become an industry standard practice that has enhanced services available to the public for weddings, special events and family reunions.

The FCPA is formalizing a public policy that would clarify rules and guidelines for alcohol use in parks and would protect park visitors at events that would involve serving alcoholic beverages on park property. Following the public meeting and a 30-day public comment period, a policy proposal will be presented to the Fairfax County Park Board for consideration.

To view our proposed policy, visit online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/alcohol-policy. For more information regarding alcohol permitting and policy, please contact the Public Information Office at 703-324-8662.

Park Authority staff will provide a brief overview of the draft policy, followed by public comment. If you wish to speak on this topic you may sign up in advance at parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov or by contacting the Public Information Office at 703-324-8662. Individuals may speak for three minutes and those representing a group will be allotted five minutes for comments. You can also sign up to speak at the meeting. Public comments will be accepted through July 31, 2018.

Restoration work on the Bull Neck Run Stream located within Springhill Park and Bull Neck Run Stream Valley Park is set to begin shortly. The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has contracted with RES for the work which will start in mid-June. Spring Hill Park is located at 1239 Spring Hill Road in McLean, Virginia.

The project involves restoration of approximately 1,350 linear feet of Bull Neck Run stream. The primary goal of this restoration is to stabilize the channel and prevent future erosion and degradation along the stream. Restoration of native trees and herbaceous planting will also be implemented after construction in order to promote natural reforestation which ensures the development of a healthy ecosystem. This project is part of Fairfax County’s larger efforts to restore many of the county’s degraded streams while also improving overall water quality and the condition of the Chesapeake Bay.

The project’s main construction access will be off Lewinsville Road and directly behind the RECenter building adjacent to the multi-purpose fields. This project will impact a good portion of the trail network within the stream corridor. Temporary trail closure will be implemented as needed to ensure public safety. Active construction will conclude in June 2019.

The Fairfax County Park Authority will hold a public information meeting to discuss the Sustainable Trail Plan for Mount Vernon District Park. The purpose is to provide a sustainable trail system for the park that includes existing and planned trails and stream crossings within the park.

The meeting will be held on Monday, June 25, 2018 at 7 p.m. in Clubroom 2 of the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, located at 2017 Belle View Blvd., Alexandria, VA. Staff will provide a presentation on the Sustainable Trail Plan, followed by an opportunity for questions and answers.

Fairfax County carries on a small-town tradition this summer with a series of free concerts in the parks that will appeal to music lovers of all tastes.

The Park Authority’s concert line-up features performances from classical to bluegrass and everything in between. Performances take place at parks across the county from June to August. Find the complete lineup at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances.

Enjoy the non-stop groove machine as Cha Wa brings Mardi Gras Indian Funk to the stage at the Workhouse Arts Center on June 16, 2018. Hear the Transglobal Soul sounds of Karikatura at Nottoway Park on June 21. Round out June with The Fabulous Hubcaps who bring their mix of Oldies, Classic Rock and Soul to Lee District Park on June 27.

In July, get a taste of the Pop/Rock sounds of JunkFood at the Fairfax County Government Center on July 5. Get a Roomful of Blues at Arrowbrook Centre Park on July 7. The Randy Thompson Band entertains with Americana/Country/Roots/Rock music at Burke Lake Park on July 11. Eileen Jewell offers a taste of Alt-country at Mason District Park on July 13. The Hillbilly Gypsies will be pickin’ n’ grinnin’ at Frying Pan Farm Park on July 19. LauraLea & Tripp Fabulous, one of The East Coast’s premiere cover bands, will perform songs across every genre at Royal Lake Park on July 20.

Take your mind off the heat in August with the sound of The British Invasion Years at Arrowbrook Centre Park on August 4. Rock with the high-octane Dr. FU cover band at Burke Lake Park on August 15. Settle in for some Bluegrass with The Seldom Scene at Nottoway Park on August 16. Go Funk and Go-Go with Junkyard Band at Lee District Park on August 22. Set sail with the United States Navy Cruisers band at Lee District Park on August 29.

This is just a sampling of what’s in store this summer. For more details about the Park Authority’s Summer Entertainment Series, visit online at: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/performances. Concerts are held outdoors and may be canceled in the event of inclement weather. Call 703-324-7469 one hour prior to the start of the show for updates.

Concerts are funded by the Fairfax County Park Authority, in partnership with generous contributions through the Fairfax County Park Foundation from local businesses, corporations and individual donors.

Learn how to photograph the sun and moon or get answers to your questions about phenomena in the open sky in classes at Observatory Park at Turner Farm.

Observatory Park hosts two classes on Wednesday, June 20, 2018.

In “Intro to Astronomical Photography,” students will study photographic techniques for capturing images of the sun and moon. Discover how to shoot the moon in daylight and safe methods for capturing images of the sun. The program is designed for participants age 10 to adult. It runs from 2 to 3 p.m., and the cost is $8 per person. Bring a digital camera with a telephoto lens.

In the evening, come to Observatory Park for “Rainbows, Haloes & Glories” to learn about these and other open sky phenomena. The program will cover sunrise and sunset phenomena, too, such as the green flash and purple light. You’ll also discover why the sky is blue and sunsets are orange. This program is for participants age six to adult. It runs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the cost is $8 per person.

Get an introduction to boating and fishing basics at Riverbend Park on Friday, June 29, 2018.

In this program, you will fish for smallmouth bass and sunfish from a canoe or jon boat. Previous experience rowing or paddling is not required. Boats, personal floatation devices (PFDs), fishing rods and bait are provided.

The lesson from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. costs $16 per person and is designed for participants age five to adult. There is a maximum of three people per boat, one of whom must be age 16 or older. Everyone must register. This program will be canceled in the event of inclement weather or hazardous river conditions.

School will be out sooner than you think. Keep the kids busy this summer with camps at Green Spring Gardens that appeal to nature lovers.

Preschoolers will enjoy seek-and-find walks, nature crafts, stories and visits to the veggie garden in Garden Sprouts Exploration camp from 9 a.m. to noon for children age three to five. There’s a two-day experience on July 2 and July 3, 2018.

Children age 5 to 11 can go on a weeklong Insect Safari with a camp from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the week of July 23. This camp explores bugs and insects that inhabit Green Spring’s gardens, woods and wetlands.